In the shadow of the mountain

[Calidia]

In the shadow of the mountain
Prologue​

Away from all the battles in the North and raids in the South, there was a place where neither of the two greatest factions held sway. An area where the government had lost control over three years ago due to the inability to even safely reach the region. It was a rural place on the foot of the Northern Hi Sun mountains, having a size of roughly 40 square kilometres. The area, known as 'the Five Villages', consisted out of Srui, Na Mihnumn, Knochea, Barong and Salnay which all together had a total population of about 3,200 people. Although the five villages did not carry the flag of the communist Kangtoap Krawham Padevat (KKP), the government nor any of the

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they didn't have an actual leader. The Five Villages worked and lived according to anarchist principles, there is equal access to the always consensus decision-making, free association, social justice, collectivism, mutual aid,... etc. Each of the Five Villages had a council, which also functioned according to anarchist ways, and there was one central council with representatives from all the villages. Officially it was called the 'Federation of Northern Farmers and Workers', although the 'Five Villages' was the most common term. The anarchist federation was completely self sufficient, most of the people being farmers, and even had a rather primitive hospital, not to mention 3 rather decent schools.

It wasn't however all that which made the Five Villages a significant regional player, its was there militia who made them so. The voluntary militia went by the name 'Black Flag Army' (BFA) and was mostly a defence force. Because the Five Villages realised that it would only take one air strike to send the federation back to the stone age, the people of the village had decided that it was best to remain under the radar. Thus the Black Flag Army was rarely on the offensive, although some of the more radical elements couldn't always be contained. Almost 3/4 of the Five Villages population had received some training in the BFA for when they had to defend themselves, however only about 100 where in it on daily bases, looking out for possible attackers. The anarchist militia had no allies but there was an unofficial truce with the KKP, as long as the Five Villages would provide the KKP with food, water and shelter on regular bases they would leave the area peacefully. The commander, until another one is elected, of the BFA was former medium-sized arms dealer who goes by the name of Sebakan Obeay. Commander Seb, as he is most often referred to by the fighters, still uses his connection to supply the BFA with the means to defend its lands. Unlike the Lanxangese majority in the federation Sebakan Obeay is of Kambudjan decent, although he claimed several times that his ethnicity is of no value to him or the people. Commander Seb is definably a part of the more radical core of the federation and has often been in the centre of discussions about the spreading of anarchism, his shady past and among various other things the agreements with the KKP. He is also well connected with the significant anarcho-syndicalist union in the city Phroum as wel as other smaller anarchist groups throughout the country. It is said that Sebakan is one of the most important individuals within the Five Villages.

The nearest civilisation was 67 kilometres to the east, the small city of Phroum. The city, which also lies on the foot of the mountain, counted just under 80,000 souls and was one of the few areas in the high north of Ratomkira which was still held by governmental forces. These days the North was largely de facto controlled by the KKP, with even its largest city Na Treng still being held by the communists. The government had, outside of two outposts, completely lost control over the Hi Sun mountains leaving the area not only to the KKP but also the Black Flag Army, which used the less guarded mountain roads to supply anarchist groups in the city. The federation was well connected with the rather large anarcho-syndicalist union in Phroum and it was no secret that the more radical elements wanted to be "more active" in the city, which considering the manpower and logistics of today seems out of reach.

Until now the Five Villages had lived in an uneasy peace with constant fear for certain destruction for almost three years, but change was at hand.